The present invention relates generally to utility meters for recording energy consumption and to a device for registering time of energy use information. The invention more specifically concerns a time of use register that is readily installed within standard electric meters.
Conventional electric meters employ a metal disk driven as a rotor of a small induction motor by an electric field at a speed which is proportional to the electric power being consumed by a load. The electric meters include some means, whether mechanical or electronic, for integrating the disk motion to indicate the total energy consumed, generally measured in kilowatt hours.
In addition to the energy consumption measurement, some electric meters contain means for separating the electric energy consumption into consumption occurring during certain time periods. These meters determine electric energy consumption during predetermined peak and off-peak hours as well as record maximum demand over a specific time period in order to adjust billings to the customer according to these parameters.
In some electric meters, separate time-of-use (TOU) registers are provided that are electrically connected to the electric meter. Typically, these meters may include electronic or solid state registers. The time-of-use registers themselves include digital electronics, generally mounted on a printed circuit board. In addition, the TOU registers include some form of display, usually a liquid crystal (LCD) display. In many instances, the LCD array is the component of the time of use meter that is most susceptible to failure. This presents a problem to field service personnel because service of TOU registers usually requires the use of tools to remove and disassemble the TOU register in order to access the defective LCD array. In addition, many TOU registers of the prior art require either replacing the LCD and a printed circuit board to which the LCD array is attached by a cable, or severing the electrical connection from the LCD array to the printed circuit board and resoldering the connection to a replacement LCD array. In either case, service of these types of TOU registers is often time-consuming, expensive, and laborious to field service personnel.
Thus, there is a need for a time of use register that is easily serviceable without the necessity of tools and without complicated assembly/disassembly procedures. There is also a need for a readily serviceable TOU register in which the LCD array or other similar display component, is easily removed and replaced without requiring replacement of the printed circuit board or cumbersome re-connection of a new LCD to the board.